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Welcome to my weekly newsletter – Where I use real stories from my life to unpack lessons and insights I have learnt. I hope you enjoy the material and gain something impactful to apply to your life.
What’s in store:
- A 65-year-old woman as my mountain guide, tried to outrun me.
- 4 life lessons I learnt from climbing Mt Kinabalu on the island of Borneo
- Why the Chinese just laughed at me.
- Quote: It is not the mountains that we conquer but ourselves.
I hunched over, grabbing my bare legs in an attempt to warm myself up. It was pitch dark and -2 degrees Celsius. I was wearing a thin long-sleeved top and a pair of boardshorts while standing on a narrow rock surrounded by a group of Chinese hikers dressed from head to toe in thick snow gear, beanies, goggles, and hiking poles. I wondered where I had gone wrong.
A friend and I had landed in a town called Kota Kinabalu on the island of Borneo, a majestic place split by two countries, Malaysia and Indonesia. After exploring the coastal town, we took a short boat ride to a small island to scuba dive into the iconic reefs of Borneo for a couple of days. The weather was perfect for scuba in the mid to high 30s. Not far inland from Kota Kinabalu is the tallest freestanding mountain in South East Asia, Mt Kinabalu. We hadn’t planned on climbing it, but we had traveled so far, so why not. We woke up early to catch the 4-hour bus ride to Mt Kinabalu. During the trip, we realized that we had done no research and had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We were just two naive, fit friends ready to tackle any adventure. Despite the “what ifs,” we decided it was now or never.
Lesson #1: Being young and adventurous, you don’t always think through the alternatives very well; you just “hope for the best.” I think something is to be said about this attitude, and we need to find a little more of this attitude in our latter years. While we have more responsibilities, we shouldn’t be afraid to take educated risks and avoid living boring lives.
The 4-hour trip went by quickly. We stepped out of the bus to see Mt Kinabalu towering over us. It had fascinating granite fingers jutting out from the top, casting a shadow over us, and reminding us of our insignificance in this world. We rushed to pay our fees at the national parks office, where the officer told us we had to climb with a local guide. However, we insisted that we would be okay since we were two fit 20 something-year-olds. Our guide, a 65-year-old woman, stepped out from the back office, and we looked at each other in disbelief. The officer reassured us that she had climbed the mountain hundreds of times, and we couldn’t keep up with her on her worst day. We shrugged our shoulders and said hello to her, but she couldn’t speak English, meaning it would be an interesting two days.
We started to climb…
Two hours in, she started to lag behind significantly, and we had to stop more than we would have liked to let her catch up. Eventually, at five hours, she waved her hand as if to say “go” after she saw the frustration on our faces. We were out of sight in moments, like mountain goats unleashed from captivity. We reached the overnight hut by 5 pm, and she eventually arrived around 8 pm, not a happy chappy. We watched the incredible sunset and went to bed, knowing that we had to wake up at 1 am to begin the second leg of our hike to the summit.
Roughly thirty of us started our slow and arduous journey toward the summit – Not our guide. I don’t know what happened to her; we never saw her again. We received a warning about altitude sickness, and a couple of hikers turned back on the first day. Fortunately, I had not felt any effects of it. However, I knew it could affect even the fittest person and render them immobile. A couple of years before, I had worked as a cook on a mountain in Colorado at an elevation of 11,000 feet. Perhaps, I had conditioned myself back then. I recollected how walking too fast from one end of the restaurant to the other caused one’s nose to bleed. We had to stick close to each other as visibility was poor, and we didn’t have headlights like the others. We traversed a narrow crevice with a rope, walking in single file behind the person ahead of us. This continued for quite a while. I could sense the air thinning with each step and had to breathe deeper while walking slower. The temperature had significantly dropped, and I could feel it. After a few hours of constant walking, we finally started getting closer to the summit. We found ourselves on the highest point of one of the granite fingers, high above the clouds. The sun had risen but was still below the clouds. I was freezing in my shorts and a thin long-sleeve shirt. The Chinese tour group shook their heads as they looked at me, hugging my legs and praying for the sun to hurry up and rise above the clouds to thaw me out. My friend had a thin jacket and long pants, slightly more prepared than me.
Lesson #2 – Preparation is never a waste of time. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This phrase has become increasingly important to me as I get older. Planning is crucial to success in all aspects of life, be it your nutrition for the week, your work schedule, or the goals and dreams you aim to achieve. Although planning can be frustrating, it is so worth it. This trip taught me the value of planning and how it could put your safety at risk if you don’t plan adequately. While I am not great at planning, I have improved, making my life much easier.
Eventually, the sun rose above the clouds, and it was an incredible sight. Bit by bit, the shadow of the barren rock became less as the sun’s rays grew closer. The sun’s rays surpassed me, and I felt revitalized, refreshed, and reawakened. I stood up straight, embraced the breathtaking views of the mystical mountain, and realized what we had accomplished. Reaching the summit in the dark made it challenging to understand our achievement until the sun rose and shone its incredible glory and splendor all around us.
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Lesson #3 – Growing in the darkness. The roots of a tree take time to establish – we know it is a slow process. Planted doesn’t mean buried. Planting is dark, and the progress may seem non-existent, especially to bystanders. However, once those roots are established, the tree grows tall and strong, bears fruit, and creates shade for others. When we work in the dark, we may feel defeated, discouraged, and that we’re not making progress. However, just like me on that mountain, I had no idea what I had accomplished until the sun rose and revealed the magnificent sight. If you find yourself in the darkness, know that you are planted not buried. Your roots are establishing a mighty tree that will bear fruit and provide shade for many around you. Keep going.
A few years later, I learned that a devastating earthquake had claimed the lives of 18 people who were climbing Mt. Kinabalu. The news made me pause and think for a moment; that could have easily been me up there. I couldn’t help but question whether the risk was worth it.
Lesson #4: The answer is a resounding YES every time for me. We must remember that life is about adventure, exploration, and pushing beyond our comfort zones. While it is true that the risks may be greater, I can assure you that the rewards your soul reaps are worth every bit of the increased risk. Risk plays an important role in most areas of life, and as cliché as it may sound, no risk means no reward. If risks are taken after careful planning and preparation, they are always worth it. Although the outcome may not always be entirely satisfactory, you can still learn valuable lessons from it and emerge as a better individual. Happiness is not at the top of the mountains but in the climb itself.
The descent was nothing short of a run and loads of fun. Those two days were sensational and an experience I highly recommend should you ever find yourself in South East Asia.
“It is not the mountain that we conquer but ourselves” – Sir Edmund Hillary.
“Climb mountains not so the world can see you, but so you can see the world.” – David McCullough Jr.
I would love to hear your story, please do write to me and I will make sure to reply.
In your day, be courageous, confident, and curious.
Your Friend
Trev.
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